Europe will need 100 million smart meters by 2016

Introduction: As the market for smart metering in the United States slows down, the European market is heating up. According to the requirements of the EU directive, 80% of households will install smart meters by 2020. In order to meet the requirements of the directives, smart grid projects are currently advancing rapidly in Europe. According to the GTM study, it will now require 100 million smart meters in Europe in 2016.

When the pace of development of the US metrology market has slowed down and incentive funds have been lost, Europe can be said to be the hottest market in the coming years. But what does digital technology mean for European customers? Geert-Janvander Zanden, the author of the GTM study "Europe Smart Grid 2012-2016," believes the answer is still unknown. He pointed out that the residential demand response plan is not equally attractive to Europe because the average family use rate in Europe is less than half that of the United States, but the problem cannot be solved in one piece. Many Europeans do not even look at the precise monthly bills, do not enjoy the differential electricity prices, save money for energy savings and receive no feedback.

In the United Kingdom, it is expected that there will be more than 40 million dual-use smart meters (gas meters and meters), and the government is also committed to encouraging energy-saving transformation. Providing more detailed information on usage will promote this work. Many European utility companies want to use meters to reshape their relationships with customers. Europe, like the United States, only a few people are friendly towards public utilities. European data is good news for meter manufacturers and their suppliers, and the industry's outlook for growth is better than in other areas. HIS Research (formerly iSupply) recently released a report saying that the global sales of smart meters will increase from 20.5 million in 2011 to 62 million in 2016. But Geert-JanvanderZanden pointed out that only France, Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom can make the deployment of smart meters in 2016 easily reach 100 million.

Although Europe still suffers from the economic crisis, many countries still have a measurement plan. In early 2011, the French government announced plans for 35 million smart meters. The UK’s metrology goals are also very ambitious. The UK government announced a smart grid communications contract valued at US$7.5 billion. The UK market also places a great emphasis on customer platforms, just as the green technology media recently pointed out in its 2011 Home Area Trends inventory, strong government directives, a competitive market, and annual utility bills make it an analysis and The well-prepared home energy technologies have made the UK the most potential market in the world.

But first, they need smart meters. The success of the United Kingdom is only helping to promote smart metering plans in other European countries in 2012 and beyond.